Quick filling valve for pressurized containers



Sept. 10, 1968 J. FRANGOS 3,400,864

QUICK FILLING VALVE FOR PRESSURIZED CONTAINERS Filed May 10, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l Tlqi. Thai.

INVENTOR', /o///v [FAA/$05 TTOR J. FRANGOS Sept. 10, 1968 QUICK FILLING VALVE FOR PRESSURIZED CONTAINERS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 10, 1967 s M a m WW MF Mm 4 5 United States Patent Ofiice 3,490,864 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 3,400,864 QUICK FILLING VALVE FOR PRESSURIZED CONTAINERS John Frangos, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to Revlon, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 10, 1967, Ser. No. 637,423 13 Claims. (Cl. ZZZ-402.16)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE For filling a container with pressurized fluid and for dispensing the same, a valve having a valve body within said container, a valve stem in said valve body, and a pivotable adapter seated in a passage between the valve body and the container. When dispensing, fluid passes from the container through a constricted orifice in the adapter, which remains seated in said passage. When filling, the valve stem is deeply depressed to engage, pivot, and unseat the adapter, opening said passage to permit rapid fluid flow into the container.

This invention relates to a valve for spraying the contentsof a pressurized container which is so constructed that it will operate as a rapid filling valve when the container is being filled under pressure. An object of the invention is to provide such a valve that will spray liquid from an aerosol type container in the manner of an ordinary commercial valve now employed in the art and that will operate as a rapid filling valve permitting the filling of the container from an outside pressure source more quickly than is now possible with many valves.

A further object of the invention resides in so constructing the valve that it is operative to fill the container with either a dip tube or a capillary tube without causing the capillary tube to blow out during the filling.

Other objects and accomplishments of the invention will appear .as the description of the invention progresses.

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the invention when used with a dip tube and when the valve is closed;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view showing the parts in the positions they will occupy when spraying is being accomplished;

FIGURE 3 is a similar view showing the parts in the positions they will occupy when the container is being filled;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of a form of my invention when used with a capillary tube, showing the parts in the position they will occupy when the container is being filled;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional View of another form of my invention showing the parts in the positions they will occupy when a capillary tube is being used and the valve is closed;

FIGURE 6 is a similar view showing the arrangement of the parts while the container is being filled while the capillary tube is sealed; and

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view on the line 7-7 of FIGURE. '1.

In FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, I have shown one form of valve in its open and closed positions and when used with a conventional dip tube. While in FIG- URE 3 I have shown the same form but with the actuator removed and replaced by a pressure filling head for rapid filling of the container.

.When the valve is in the closed position as shown in FIGURE 1 or its open position as shown in FIGURE 2, access to the valve body is established through an orifice in what I shall term an adapter into which the dip tube discharges the pressurized fluid. When, however, the actuator is removed and replaced by the pressure filling head and the latter is depressed, thus depressing the valve stem until its orifice 22 is located in the valve body, the adapter will be rocked on a fulcrum with the result that passage for the incoming pressure fluid into the container is established around the valve stem, through the valve stem, and through and around the adapter into the dip tube as shown in FIGURE 3.

In FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 the valve is illustrated in connection with a capillary tube, rather than a dip tube, the parts being so constructed and arranged that during the quick pressure filling of the container the capillary tube will not blow out or be displaced. This is accomplished by connecting the capillary tube directly to the adapter for receiving pressure and through the adapter while the fiuid also passes from the valve body around the adapter to the nipple of the valve body as shown in FIGURE 6.

In FIGURE 3 I have shown the form of the valve illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 with the pressure filling head associated therewith and with the parts of the valve in the positions they will occupy while the container is being pressure filled, while in FIGURE 4 I have similarly illustrated the invention associated with the pressure filling head used with a capillary tube.

Referring now to the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 wherein a dip tube is used, the valve comprises a valve body 10 which fits into the container (not shown) and is fixed in position by a ferrule 12 between which and the edge 14 of the upper open end of the valve body a rubber (or similar material) annular sealing gasket 16 is located.

A valve core 18 is mounted for reciprocatory movement in the valve body and carries the valve stem 20 having an orifice 22 to establish communication between the valve body 10 and the central passage 24 of the valve stem 20.

An adapter is mounted within the valve body. This adapter may be of disc-like form 26, and is provided with an upstanding projection 28 which is located within the area of the peripheral outline of the valve core.

This adapter is also provided with nipple 30 that is adapted to enter the adjacent end of the nipple 32 of the valve body. The opening 34 of the nipple establishes communication between the container, by way of the nipple 32 and the dip tube 36 on the one hand and the chamber of the valve body on the other.

A spring 38 exerts pressure against the valve core 18 and the adapter to maintain the valve core in sealing contact with the gasket 16 and the nipple 30 within the dip tube nipple 32. At this time the orifice 22 is closed by the gasket as shown in FIGURE 1, thus maintaining the valve closed.

When the actuator 31 on the valve stem and the valve stem are depressed the orifice 22 will be moved into the chamber of the valve body 10 as shown in FIGURE 2. At this time the contents of the container are free to fiow through the dip tube, through the adapter around the valve core 18, and through the orifice 22 and the passage 24 of the valve stem, to the actuator head as indicated by the arrows in FIGURE 2, and will. be sprayed from the actuator.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 of the drawings which shows the pressure filling head 40 in operation, the head is provided with an inlet conduit 42 for conducting the pressurized filling material to a manifold having two compartments 44 and 46 both of which communicate with the container through the gasket 16. The compartment 46, additionally, opens into the passage of the valve stem 20. The conduit 40 supplies pressure fluid to compartment 44 through a port 48 and the conduit 40 supplies pressure fluid to the compartment 46 through the port 50.

When the head 40 is in filling position, a sealing ring 52 seals the head in contact with the ferrule 12 against the loss of pressure.

When the valve is subjected to the filling pressure the valve core 18 is depressed into the position shown in FIG- URE 3 and the inner edge of the annular Washer is flexed downwardly. In this position the fluid follows the paths of the arrows, passing through the valve stem and its orifice into the valve body. The high rfilling pressure flexes the gasket downward so that the fluid also passes between the valve stem and the inner edge of the gasket. The fluid then passes around the valve core into the lower end of the valve body.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the depression of the valve core 18 causes the core to engage the projection 28 on the adapter and to rock the adapter on the fulcrum 51 against the action of the spring 38. This rocking action of the adapter unseats the nipple 30 from the nipple 32 thus opening the dip tube for the reception of the pressurized filling fluid which passes from the valve body around the nipple 30 and through both nipples to the dip tube. It will be realized that the fulcrum which causes the rocking of the adapter may be part of the valve body as illustrated or may be carried by the adapter that engages the valve body.

When the filling head is removed the parts are restored to the position shown in FIGURE 1 wherein the valve is closed against discharge. But when the actuator and the valve stem are depressed the parts will be in the positions shown in FIGURE 2 wherein the valve is open for discharge of the pressurized fluid.

The blow out of the capillary tube, when one is used, is prevented While the container is being filled by the structure shown in FIGURE 4. In this form of the invention shown in FIGURE 4 the structure is the same as that in FIGURE 1, 2 and 3, corresponding parts being indicated by the same reference numerals preceded by 100, except that the capillary tube 54 is attached to the nipple 130 of the adapter in such manner that it establishes communication between the container and the valve body 110 through the opening 134 and extends through the nipple 132.

When the pressure filling head 140 depresses the valve stem and rocks the adapter on the fulcrum 152 the nipple 130 will be unseated. The unseating allows the pressure fluid to pass around the adapter and through the nipple 132 into the container. At the same time the pressure fluid passes through the opening 134 in the adapter and through the capillary tube 54 into the container. Thus the equalized pressure on the tube will prevent a blow out of the tube from the adapter.

In the form shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings I have shown a further form of my invention. The structure is the same as that shown in FIGURE 4 and to some extent the same as parts shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 with the exception that in the form shown in FIG- URES 5 and 6 an additional element is provided which is constructed and arranged within the valve body to seal the capillary tube from the valve body chamber so that the incoming pressure fluid will during the charging of the container, bypass the capillary tube completely and pass into the container through the nipple of the valve body around the adapter.

In this form of the invention shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 the elements that are common to it and the heretofore described two forms are designated by the same reference numerals preceded by 200 while the elements that are common to the forms of FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 are designated by the reference numerals which are common to these FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 alone.

The additional element that is peculiar to the form of FIGURES 5 and 6 is designated by the reference numeral 56. This element 56 is constituted by a sleeve-like element that is carried by the valve core 218 which lies 4 within the spring 238 and is made of a flexible material, such as rubber, when the valve is open.

This sleeve 56 is sufiiciently long to exert pressure on the adapter disc when the container is being filled to seal the capillary tube from the valve body chamber, thus preventing any pressure fluid from entering the container through the capillary tube as shown in FIGURE 6, thus preventing blow out of the tube. When, however, the fluid is being sprayed through the orifice 122 of the stem the contact of the actuator with the ferrule 112 arrests the downward movement of the sleeve 56 before it contacts the adapter, thus leaving the capillary tube open into the valve body.

In all of the forms of the invention the nipple on the adapter may be seated against a compressible gasket 58 for better sealing.

While I have illustrated particular forms of my invention and of details of structure, it is to be realized that many changes and variations may be made without exceeding the scope of the claims. I therefore do not Wish to be limited in my protection to the particular forms i1- lustrated and described.

What I claim is:

1. In a spray valve for a pressurized fluid container which is capable of being rapidly filled with fluid under pressure, the combination of a chambered valve body, a valve stem member having a terminal orifice therein movable into and out of the chamber of said valve body, said valve body having a passage therethrough establishing communication between said valve body chamber and said container, and a pivoted adapter arranged within said chamber to seat within said passage, said adapter including a projection arranged for contact with said valve stem member when the latter is depressed to rock said adapter on its pivot to unseat said adapter from said passage.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein a resilient member is provided between said valve stem member and said adapter to bias said adapter and said valve stem member in opposite directions, whereby to close said valve and seat said adapter.

3. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein said adapter is provided with an opening therethrough to establish communication between said chamber and said passage.

4. The combination recited in claim 2, wherein said adapter is provided with an opening extending theret hrough to establish communication between said chamher.

5. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein a flexible gasket is arranged to seal said valve body and to flex inwardly into said chamber to provide an opening into said chamber around the stem of said valve stem member, whereby pressurized fluid may be quickly forced into said chamber when said valve stem member is depressed and said disk is rocked on its pivot away from its said seat.

6. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein a dip tube is attached to said valve body and communicates with said chamber.

7. The combination recited in claim 2, wherein a dip tube is attached to said valve body and communicates with said chamber.

8. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein a capillary tube is attached to said adapter and communicates with said chamber through said adapter.

9. The combination recited in claim 2, wherein a capillary tube is attached to said adapter and communicates with said chamber through said adapter. V

10. The combination recited in claim 8, wherein means is provided for sealing said capillary tube out of communication with said chamber when said valve stem mem her is depressed sufficiently to rock said disk on its pivot to unseat said disk when said container is being filled with pressurized fluid, whereby said pressurized fluid passes into said container through said capillary tube and around said adapter and through said passage.

11. The combination recited in claim 9, wherein an actuator is provided on the stem of said valve stem member and is arranged thereon to limit the movement of said sealing means before said means contacts said adapter, whereby pressurized fluid may be sprayed from said container through said valve stem and said actuator.

12. The combination recited in claim 8, wherein said sealing means is in the form of a deformable resilient tube carried by said valve stem member.

13. In a spray valve for a pressurized fluid container which is capable of being rapidly filled With fluid under presure, a chambered valve body, a valve stem, member having a terminal orifice therein movable into and out of the chamber of said valve body, said valve body havbetween said valve body chamber and said container, an adapter arranged within said chamber to seat Within said passage, pivot means for said adapter disposed between said adapter and said valve body, and. a projection between said adapter and said valve stem member for melting said adapter on its pivot to unseat said adapter from said passage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,081,916 3/1963 Rhodes et a1. ZZZ-402.16 3,219,069 11/1965 Kutfer ZZZ-402.16 X

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

ing a passage therethrough establishing communication 15 HADD S. LANE, Assistant Examiner. 

